C Diff

I first got sick on May 1st thinking it was the stomach flu. I weight 157lbs and every er that I went to told me to sleep it off and that the longest it could last is two weeks. Two weeks later no difference. I finally saw a gastroenterolgist sometime in June. At that point it was 1 month of no appetite, nausea and diarrhea with tons of mucus(sorry to be so graphic). I did a stool test and he said I had inflammation somewhere and to eat bland and it would go away. It didn’t so finally he said I could have Giardia due to having yellow poop since march 🙁 so he put me on flagyl and ciprofloxacin. I guess I put all my eggs in one basket and hoped and prayed that would be it. I started feeling better until one day after I ate I had the urge to throw up. No nausea or anything. Finally had a colonoscopy on June 19th. Got diagnosed with C. Diff colitis. He put me on flagyl three times a day for two weeks. I had my good days and bad days. Fourth of july came around I had a hot dog and pasta salad and that’s the last day I ate something delicious. Since that day I’ve felt horrible. I finished my antibiotics that Saturday and I’ve become worse. All I taste is blood now. Anything I drink makes me want to throw up. I have to sleep sitting straight up :(. I’m miserable and I currently weight less than 120. So to go from 157-120 in a matter of two to three months is taking its toll on my body. I’m losing hope. I’m 22 years old and Monday April 30th was the last time I was actually happy. If anyone has information or anything to help me please respond. I know I could have something way worse but to go from being perfectly healthy to being labeled anorexic because you want to eat but you can’t is really hard. I’d love to hear other peoples stories on this horrible infection.

Hi Tiara…This is my first time on this discussion so please bare with me. I am on the site for pretty much the same reasons/illness that you have…I have been sick since middle of January. It is horrible…you are so sick “all-over” that is is hard to describe. I also have lost about 30 Lbs since January…and still losing. I had a Colonostomy in Feb. and an Endoscopy in April..first diagnosed with severe Colitis. Took three weeks of Flagyl and Ciprofloxicin with little improvement. Then went to another GI Dr. who is very conscienceious and was immediately diagnosed with C. Diff. and loaded up on Dicyclomine, Amitiza, Probiotics, Nexium, and Fiber-Lax. From the Endo. I was also diagnosed with Barretts Esophogus…caused from Acid Reflux. At this point, these medications have helped a lot, but I still have to really watch what I eat, be sure and take all the medicines timely, and live with constant stomach pain, bowel problems, sore throat, trouble swallowing, and general sick-feeling all the time. I am continuing to “Bug” my GI or his PA’s to help me feel better. Just saw another PA on Fri. No encouragement. So, that is why I am on this site. I am considering going to Mayo Clinic for a full “Once-Over.” I can’t stand it either…

have you tried the holistic aproach. go see a nutritionist if you can because one thing i have learned is that only one out of hundreds makes to much stomach acid. the heartburn or what they call “gerd” is usually from to little acid. I am extremly ill and down to 100 pounds and i cannot eat. ive been drinking smoothies with protien and vitamin powder. have had several test and yet to have a diagnosis other then ibs when i know thats not what it is. this week i will be swallowing a camera pill so that they can look at my small intestines since they couldnt find anything with the colonoscopy and the upper endoscopy but i do know that one of the big problems was from taking ant acids for far to long. So my nutritionalist put me on a suppliment called gastracid and digestive enzymes. and it did help. now i no longer eat enough to take them but will again when i am able to get back on solids. i can really relate to what your going through. my pain is constant and i am now so mal nourished i can barely function and its making me incredibly anxious. one thing that helps with the pain is achupuncture. id definatly look into alternative meds because eastearn medicine and drs have been around far longer. and western docs are simply so obsessed with money. in the medical society if your not wealthy you dont deserve to be healthy. i hate it so much and feel quite hopeless at times.

It’s sad but so true. You always see a celebrity being hospitalized for exhaustion. Really? I’m genuinely sick here and all three ers that I went to just told me to wait it out. My gi doc doesn’t seem too concerned about my 43 pound weight loss. I’ve been trying to eat baked potatoes and toast with peanut butter and protein shakes to gain weight but I’m still losing it 🙁 and idk what to do. I am miserable. I feel as though something else
Is wrong besides the c diff. I’ve always wanted to try acupuncture. I think I may since I’m so stressed and anxious now. And no I haven’t tried the holistic route yet. Ive always been a firm believer in meds but they haven’t worked for me yet so I may go that route. Someone that works with my mom is going through the same situation with her daughter. She’s not able to eat or keep anything down and she lost a ton of weight and they just slapped the ibs diagnosis on her. It seems to be the answer to everything if they can’t find out what’s really wrong with you. I wish you the best and I hope you begin to feel better soon 🙂

That’s why I want to go to mayo. They have docs that specialize in c diff there and it’s everything in one place. No rushed feeling at your appts.
If the doctors knew how we felt there would be urgency and a sense of concern and encouragement. I’m here for support whenever you need it. People think its just an upset stomach and it’ll go away eventually. No it’s far from that. I’m currently sitting in the er right now due to shortness of breath. The doctor that diagnosed you with c diff shouldn’t not have put you on any of those. An antibiotic and and probiotic is what you need. Antibiotic you’d probably need vancomycin and for the probiotic
You should get florastor. Best of luck to you and your recovery. Like I said I’m here for support.
You feel like complaining and no one else
Will listen I’m here. I want to slap people that tell me to stay positive lol

I believe that Cipro is one of the antibiotics known to cause c-diff. I wonder why the doctors would prescribe Cipro for either one of you. Standard treatments are Flagyl first, then Vancomycin if needed. Also, if you search this site for “c-diff”, someone known as “MOCN” has offered up a very good recommendation for treatment. Wish you all the best.

I am reading this almost a month later. I trust you got some relief. I am under treatment for my 5th round of c diff. The new meds will arrive at Walmart 24 hours after the script was sent to Walmart, The drug is new, Diff ic id, and the cost is over 3,000 dollars for 10 days. I would like to go to Mayo but I don’t think Medicare will cover it. Does anyone have any good suggestions. in late In late April I was in the hospital with influenza A and mid May I started this journey with C Diff. Pls respond to let me know how you are. I just found this site an hour ago.

I had cdiff lost a few month of my life and many pounds and thought death was constantly knocking at my door. I got a fecal transplant, it saved my life. I do have PTSD from the ignorant Dr.’s who know nothing but pretend they do, I trust no one, I have turned against western medicine and went homeopathic. Every Dr. I went to lied to me , I shit in more offices than I care to admit to. Who knows how many people got this because of my Dr.’s ignorance. My husband found help for me along with the guiding hands if God. I still thank Him( God) every chance I get, and I am still trying to figure out what I can and cannot eat. This changed my life. I live in a state of fear, I am seeking help, I will not be beaten by this disease, however YOUR Doctor is a liar if they say go and live ypur life. If you do that you may be back with cdiff again and it might not be curable next time. Wash your hands, wash your hands, wash your hands!!!!!!

Hi Jamie. I use both. I had two days relief not long ago. My strategy:

One Table Spoon Honey/Cinnamon, 100 million Probiotics

Jamie, I am not comfortable sharing a lot of details about myself on here, because it is public. But, I don't mind sharing some details about me if that's OK. I am a mother of two boys, raised them on my own. I currently reside in my home state, KY. I work from home and have since 2001.

I currently relocated from another State, Michigan. During my stay there, I was trying to get help for my eldest son, who doctors said there was suffering from Crohns Disease. He kept getting worse. I moved back to my home state in Ky. and here we learned he had CDif. by the time we figured it out, I had been infected and started showing Signs of Cdif in Michigan. It was too late.

I was very angry, at this time, because I was told there are cures, but it's basically for rich people. Poor people who have been infected, thanks to Antibiotics and visits to some hospitals, are not able to get cured. We believe adamantly that my son contracted this condition after visiting a local hospital in Michigan. It was after his visit, the symptoms started.

So I am on a routine expenditure now to save my son's life as well as my own now. I fought for years to save his life prior to. Not only does he have cdif too, he also has diabetes and high-blood. So I am testing on my own a few ways to help.

I found relief after taking 100 million Probiotics, Cinnamon/Honey, and eating limited foods. Bananas helped too. Stay with nature's natural and finest is what I try to do.

My son and I ate Chinese food every single day for 2 months. That is all we could eat. Expensive. I ate mainly shrimp, not breaded, melons, fruits, and stayed away from most other types of foods. I did OK. But after a while, it started to affect me again, so I had to switch up. Now, I am working on eating mainly fruits, from natural sources only.

I've been struggling for a few months now, and had some success, even a few days without any symptoms at all!